Photos have surfaced showing the bl**died and swollen face of a woman who was knocked unconscious during a viral brawl in downtown Cincinnati.
The victim, identified only as “Holly,” was reportedly trying to help someone before she was attacked. She has since reportedly left the United States and returned to her home country.
The incident has resulted in several arrests, rising racial tensions, and political fallout from local and state officials calling for accountability.
An Ohio Senator shared Holly’s harrowing photos after her nightmare on Cincinnati’s streets
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Ohio Senator Bernardo Moreno shared Holly’s photos after the incident, which showed severe bruising around her eye and mouth, according to a New York Post report.
In a comment to Fox News Fox & Friends segment, Moreno stated that “When I saw the video, (I) thought she had been k**led,” adding that her injuries were “so graphic, so horrible.”
“She wanted to have a nice evening out with friends. Instead, she got this.”
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In another comment to Fox, the official stated that after police showed up at the scene of the incident, Holly was taken back home in an Uber that she booked herself.
“She was taken home in (an) Uber she had to call. She wasn’t taken in an ambulance. Nobody took her to the hospital,” Moreno said.
The Ohio Senator also stated that Holly had been in and out of the hospital three times.
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“I’ve talked to her every day. She’s frightened to d**th. You can imagine the trauma. She’s a middle-aged woman that almost got her life b**ten to d**th for showing up in one of our great American cities,” Moreno said.
In a comment to the Cincinnati Enquirer, police spokesperson Jonathan Cunningham confirmed that Holly had returned to Russia.
The shocking video of the incident created a firestorm filled with racial tensions and accusations of media bias
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The initial videos of the Cincinnati street brawl quickly went viral on social media. Videos of the incident appeared to show a few men being targeted by a group of assailants.
At one point, Holly could be seen attempting to help one of the men, who was bleeding after being beaten and stomped on by several assailants.
It was at this point that a man struck Holly in the face, knocking her out cold. Holly could be seen bl**ding from her mouth immediately after she fell to the ground.
Reports of the incident, which were described in the media as a “brawl” or “fight,” quickly triggered tense conversations online.
Critics stated that the incident was hardly a brawl because it involved less than a handful of people being beaten by a mob of over a dozen men and women.
“Sorry, but a group of people punching and kicking one person on the ground is not a ‘fight.’ It’s just a beating,” one user on social media platform X wrote.
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“A fight is between two people, period! That was called being attacked by a mob,” another commenter wrote.
The fact that Holly and the men who were beaten were caucasian and the assailants were Black also added racial tensions to the entire situation.
Senator Moreno has stated that the FBI has initiated an investigation into the incident on orders from the United States Attorney General. Five people have so far been charged in relation to the incident.
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These include 34-year-old Montianez Merriweather, 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon, and 39-year-old Jermaine Matthews.
They are facing charges including felonious a**ault and aggravated riot.
Racial tensions worsened as leaders made controversial comments
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While the nature of the incident has already resulted in tense conversations about race and culture on social media, comments from some government officials have thrown even more fuel into the fire.
In the aftermath of the incident, Cincinnati Councilwoman Victoria Parks took to Facebook to comment on a video showing the moments leading up to the brawl in downtown Cincinnati.
“They asked for that beatdown,” Parks commented. “I am grateful for the whole story.”
Image credits: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
Parks’ comments were widely criticized and condemned, with netizens stating that her words were unbecoming of a public official. Many brought up Holly, who definitely did not “ask for” a beatdown.
Local news outlet WLWT contacted Parks about her remarks. She stated that she stands by her social media comment, which she has not deleted as of writing.
Parks has served on Cincinnati’s city council since January 2022. She has previously stated that she will not be seeking re‑election.
Image credits: FOX19 NOW | Cincinnati
On the other hand, Ross Township, Ohio trustee David Young came under fire for a social media post that included a racial slur towards the assailants in the incident.
“Cincinnati has a problem and has always had a problem with black citizens. Their (sic) animals and won’t change,” he wrote in one of his social media posts, fueling much anger and frustration from residents.
An emergency meeting was called about Young’s posts. During the meeting, Young said, “If I said something was wrong and I offended somebody, I’ll do it right now, I’m making a public apology for it, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Despite calls for him to step down, Young argued that he was not going anywhere, according to Local12 News.
He added that people who have issues with his comments should just make their voices known in November, when he is up for reelection.
Netizens continue to react with shock at the Cincinnati incident
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